Lost in the sputtering was the key problem that Jeb has with GOP primary voters and not just in Iowa though this issue is huge there, but everywhere: His defense of Common Core.

I spoke at length with the governor about Common Core last summer —the transcript is here— and he does a fine job responding to critics, and needs to do more of that. I think he ought to take up Michele Malkin’s challenge to debate the subject in fact, and would be happy to moderate on air or off. As I said to the WaPo’s Chris Cillizza on yesterday’s show, Common Core is Jeb’s biggest issue with the base, not immigration, on which there is broad policy agreement (regularization following a long, strong fence’s construction.) The Common Core, however, is one of those iceberg issues –like the “notch babies” of decades ago– that elite media seems wholly unaware of and which the GOP field is sailing straight towards.